Robinson Crusoe is a complex book often broken up into three sections, each carrying their own themes, but the overall book is very much like an autobiography representing Robinson’s spiritual life. The theme, seen through the subject of spiritual life, in the simplest terms, is how even the most rebellious of people can find spiritual redemption and turn that into good by saving others spiritually. Even though conversion to Christianity may not be considered by every audience to be spiritually saving, the book does teach tolerance of other religions and that in the eyes of the main character, they are doing good.
The book starts out with a quick backstory on Robinson and his family where we quickly learn of his wish to travel and his parents being against it. Through this, we see how religious Robinson’s family is and how they raised him with the lines “But leaving them… without asking God’s blessing or my father’s” (Defoe 8) and “the breach of my duty to God and my father” (Defoe 8). This furthers the fact that we know he’s religious and this is the first sign of his rebellion. There are several biblical references that this could be connected to; for example, Jonah, taking to the seas against God’s will, or the prodigal son, rebelling against one’s father.
Later we see Robinson getting rich and becoming obsessed with money, but sacrificing other things like his health stating “I was continually sick, being thrown into a violent calenture by the excessive heat of the climate” (Defoe 21) and his ship even being attacked and him being captured with his “ship being disabled, and three of [their] men killed, and eight wounded, [they were] obliged to yield, and [were] carried all prisoners into Sallee” (Defoe 22). We see in the Bible that often rebellion for pleasures are not rewarded, like the prodigal son going broke and going from a rich lifestyle to feeding pigs. As a consequence, he ends up as a slave only to escape while fishing but he ends up on a desert island.
Here, on the island, he begins his redemption. On June 27th, he begins his redemption by submitting to God after being sick for several days. The journal entry ends with “‘Lord, be my help, for I am in great distress” (Defoe 116), and him calling that his first prayer. Eventually, he finds out he isn’t alone on the island and rescues a man he names Friday from the cannibals. Furthermore he converts Friday which could be viewed as redemption for him as he starts to serve God through spreading the gospel with Friday becoming “A good Christian, a much better than I; though I have reason to hope, and bless God for it, that we were equally penitent, and comforted, restored penitents” (Defoe 284).
Following his redemption, he returns home like the prodigal son, and even though his family is dead, he finds “two sisters, and two of the children of one of [his] brothers” (Defoe 357) and the story ends with him returning to the island. Through all of this, we see how the biblical narrative of redemption, even for rebels and sinners, saves and helps others. Written from the point of view of Robinson, the book, in essence, is his spiritual autobiography showing his rebellion and redemption.
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe, eBook. Planetebook.com.
Shmoop Editorial Team. “Robinson Crusoe Theme of Religion.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008 www.shmoop.com/robinson-crusoe/religion-theme.html.